Anonymous: The Man Who Saw the Deep (Gilgamesh) https://delong.typepad.com/files/gilgamesh.pdf: 'Surpassing all kings, powerful and tall beyond all others, violent, splendid, a wild bull of a man, unvanquished leader, hero in the front lines, beloved by his soldiers...
...Who is like Gilgamesh? What other king has inspired such awe? Who else can say, “I alone rule, supreme among mankind”?
The goddess Aruru, mother of creation, had designed his body, had made him the strongest of men—huge, handsome, radiant, perfect.
The city is his possession, he struts through it, arrogant, his head raised high, trampling its citizens like a wild bull. He is king, he does whatever he wants, takes the son from his father and crushes him, takes the girl from her mother and uses her, the warrior’s daughter, the young man’s bride, he uses her, no one dares to oppose him.
But the people of Uruk cried out to heaven, and their lamentation was heard, the gods are not unfeeling, their hearts were touched, they went to Anu, father of them all, protector of the realm of sacred Uruk, and spoke to him on the people’s behalf:
Heavenly Father, Gilgamesh—noble as he is, splendid as he is—has exceeded all bounds. The people suffer from his tyranny, the people cry out that he takes the son from his father and crushes him, takes the girl from her mother and uses her, the warrior’s daughter, the young man’s bride, he uses her, no one dares to oppose him. Is this how you want your king to rule? Should a shepherd savage his own flock? Father, do something, quickly, before the people overwhelm heaven with their heartrending cries...
Anu heard them, he nodded his head, then to the goddess, mother of creation, he called...
Stephen Mitchell, trans.: Gilgamesh https://www.amazon.com/Gilgamesh-dp-1419305409/dp/1419305409/...
#noted #2020-01-21
